Fate Reforged

Contents

Set details

Fate Reforged was announced at the Wizards of the Coast panel at PAX Prime on August 31, 2014. [2] It contains 185 cards (10 basic lands [3][4], 70 commons, 60 uncommons, 35 rares, 10 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. The expansion symbol of the set is a stylized representation of two opposing planes or realities because the large sets of the block represent alternative timelines. This middle set, representing the past, is the precursor to both. The set had to be designed so it worked mechanically with both Khans of Tarkir and Dragons of Tarkir. [5] It is designed to be drafted with both large sets, while the large sets are never drafted together. [6]. Fate Reforged draft is one pack of Fate Reforged and then two packs of Khans of Tarkir.

Because the clans of Fate Reforged are less defined, the set does not contain three-color gold cards. The color identity of the cards is instead marked by the use of hybridability activation costs (for example a Temur card with green mana cost, and blue/red hybrid ability cost). This allows for these cards to be played in two-color decks (in this example either green/blue or green/red). Like in Khans of Tarkir watermarks are used on the cards for the different clans, while adding watermarks for the different dragons broods.

Because mana fixing is very important in multicolor blocks, the basic land slot of Fate Reforged booster packs may contain nonbasic lands. There are reprints of the ten common Khans of Tarkir tap lands. They will have new artwork and the Fate Reforged expansion symbol. Boosters may also include Khans of Tarkir fetch lands, which will have the Khans of Tarkir expansion symbol. [3]

The set features the colorless planeswalker Ugin, the Spirit Dragon. [7]

Storyline

Sarkhan Vol travels 1,280 years back in time, to change the moment that sealed Tarkir's fate: the battle between Nicol Bolas and Ugin, the demise of the latter and all dragons of Tarkir (Crux of Fate). The clans still exist back in the time; they are not fighting each other but are constantly fending off the legion hordes of dragons that are terrorizing their world. [8]Sarkhan meets khans of the past, like Yasova Dragonclaw. [9][10] The history of Tarkir is rewritten.

Marketing

Fate Reforged will be sold in 16-card boosters (the 16th card being a marketing card), five intro packs, a clash pack and a fat pack. [11] Korean, Portuguese, Chinese (Traditional), and Russian boosters will contain basic lands at a high frequency alongside nonbasic lands, as Fate Reforged basic lands will not otherwise be printed in those languages. [3]

Prerelease

Special "Ugin's Fate" booster pack

At the Fate Reforged prerelease on January 17/18, 2015, players choose their clan. While they complete three achievements, they follow in Sarkhan's footsteps to attempt to alter fate; they get to "Heal Ugin" and "Gain a glimpse of the future". The latter comes in the form of a special "Ugin's Fate" booster pack containing two alternate art cards that show how the world has changed in the new timeline, a token and a basic land card. There's a pool of 40 alternate art cards with a holo foil stamp (mainly from Khans of Tarkir, a few from Fate Reforged, one mythic), the main change in the art being that there are dragons now. In addition, the basic lands also have alternate art, showing off Tarkir of the past.

Ugin, the Spirit Dragon(MR; FRF)

Mastery of the Unseen(R; FRF)

Smite the Monstrous(C; KTK)

Soul Summons(C; FRF)

Reality Shift (U; FRF)

Write into Being (C; FRF)

Arashin War Beast(U; FRF)

Formless Nurturing(C; FRF)

Fierce Invocation(C; FRF)

Sultai Emissary(C; FRF)

Altar of the Brood(R; KTK)

Briber's Puse (U; KTK)

Cut-Stone Retainers(U; FRF)

Ghostfire Blade(R;KTK)

Ugin's Construct(U; FRF)

Promotional cards

Launch promo: Sandsteppe Mastodon[12]

Game Day: full-art Mardu Shadowspear

Game Day (Top 8): full-art Supplant Form

Buy-a-Box: Shamanic Revelation

Prerelease:

Tokens / Overlay

The sixteenth card in the boosters can be a token overlay card, with an advertisement on the back side. The overlay card can be used on face-down Manifest cards to remind players of their power and toughness and that it can be turned face-up for its casting cost, or Morph cost if it is a Morph creature.[13]

1/1 Monk with Prowess for Monastery Mentor

1/1 Spirit with Flying

2/1 Warrior for Mardu Strike Leader

Manifest overlay card

Themes and mechanics

Fate Reforged manifest overlay card.

Choice is a major theme of Fate Reforged. That's why there are three cycles of modal cards in the set. [14]

Hybrid mana makes a return and appears in the cost of some card effects, notably the khans. [15] Although morph does not return, a new, similar mechanic, manifest, can put into play any card as a face-down 2/2 creature. [16]. An overlay card may be used as an reminder.

Two of the clans from Khans of Tarkir receive a new mechanic (which will also be featured in Dragons of Tarkir[17]):

Mardu - Dash - You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.

The other three clans retain their original mechanic:

Jeskai - Prowess

Sultai - Delve

Temur - Ferocious

Cycles

Fate Reforged has twelve cycles and one mini-cycle.

Hybrid-mana activation creatures : five monocolored mythic rare creatures in each clan's allied color which have activated abilities costing X colorless and two hybrid mana of the clan's primary and enemy colors. —Soulfire Grand Master,Torrent Elemental, Brutal Hordechief, Shaman of the Great Hunt, and Warden of the First Tree.

Allied-colored dragons: five rare legendary dragons in each allied color pair, all of which have an ability that triggers whenever a dragon you control attacks. — Ojutai, Winter's Soul, Silumgar, the Drifting Death, Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury, Atarka, World Render, and Dromoka, the Eternal.

Khans: five rare legendary creatures with an activated ability that has a hybrid mana of the allied and enemy colors of the wedge in its cost. — Daghatar the Adamant, Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest, Tasigur, the Golden Fang, Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and Yasova Dragonclaw.

Clan matters creatures: five monocolored uncommon creatures which have abilities that become active if you control a permanent of an allied or enemy color within the clan wedge. — Abzan Kin-Guard, Wandering Champion, Marang River Prowler, Battle Brawler, and Hungering Yeti.

Common manifest cards: five monocolored common spells with increasing mana cost that each manifest a card from the top of the library. — Soul Summons, Write into Being, Sultai Emissary, Fierce Invocation, and Formless Nurturing.

Common enemy-colored instants: five common instants, one of each enemy color pair — War Flare, Harsh Sustenance,Grim Contest, Cunning Strike, and Ethereal Ambush.

Modal creatures: five common creatures with a modal enter-the-battlefield ability that either puts a +1/+1 counter on it, or has another effect —Sandsteppe Outcast, Aven Surveyor, Hooded Assassin, Defiant Ogre, and Ainok Guide

Runemarks: five common auras that each cost 2C and gives +2/+2, as well as a relevant ability if you also control a permanent of one other clan color — Abzan Runemark, Jeskai Runemark, Sultai Runemark, Mardu Runemark, Temur Runemark.

Manifest Form mini-cycle: three uncommon auras in the Jeskai colors that manifest the top card of your library and equip themselves to them when they come into play, then grant the enchanted creature one or two relevant abilities. —Lightform, Cloudform, and Rageform

Life-gain Taplands: ten common lands that enter the battlefield tapped, gain the controller one life and can tap for 2 different colors of mana. Reprints of the ten-card tapland cycle from Khans of Tarkir, with new artwork. [3]

Mirrored pairs

Jeskai Instants: a pair of common instants that either tap or untap a creature and draw a card. — Pressure Point, Refocus.

Reprinted cards

The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets:

Douse in Gloom, first seen in Guildpact

Gainlands, first printed in Khans of Tarkir[3]

Bloodfell Caves

Blossoming Sands

Dismal Backwater

Jungle Hollow

Rugged Highlands

Scoured Barrens

Swiftwater Cliffs

Thornwood Falls

Tranquil Cove

Wind-Scarred Crag

Hunt the Weak, first seen in Magic 2014 and reprinted in Magic 2015

Pyrotechnics, first seen in Legends and last seen in Planechase

Typhoid Rats, first seen in Innistrad and last seen in Magic 2015

Note about fetchlands

As the fetchlands that appear in Fate Reforged boosters feature a Khans of Tarkir expansion symbol, they are technically not reprints. [3]

Functional reprints

Arashin Cleric is a functional reprint of Temple Acolyte.

Aven Skirmisher is a functional reprint of Lantern Kami and Suntail Hawk save for creature types.

Great-Horn Krushok is a functional reprint of Siege Mastodon and Thraben Purebloods save for creature types.

Feral Krushok is a functional reprint of Spined Wurm save for creature types.

Gore Swine is a functional reprint of Regathan Firecat save for creature types.

Merciless Executioner is a functional reprint of Fleshbag Marauder save for creature types.

Sultai Skullkeeper is a functional reprint of Screeching Skaab save for creature types.